


Tear Down The Wall

by Assassin_J



Series: Ouri Stories [3]
Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Human Outsider, M/M, No Spoilers, Not DOTO-compliant, Not intended to be DOTO-compliant since I haven't played DOTO, hnnnn too sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-02-05 21:21:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12802635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Assassin_J/pseuds/Assassin_J
Summary: Writember Day 22 - "Guess"Dunwall Tower is host to a special guest, and Corvo has a special gift he's been waiting to offer to him.(title taken from "The Ripple" by Broken Iris, a song I found fromthis Corvosider playlist)





	Tear Down The Wall

"What is that box you're hiding?"

Hands fumbling to try and avoid dropping it in surprise, Corvo turned and looked up the stairs at the man who'd asked the question. "I'm... I'm not hiding it. Well, not anymore, not now that you've seen it." He laughed a tiny laugh, and held the box out. It was made of wood, and small enough to sit in his palm, and there was a pattern of interweaving ribbons engraved in the lid. "Can you guess what's inside?"

The other man descended the stairs in no hurry, with one hand kept on the railing; he was getting better at walking about, but he still stumbled at times. "You should know how I feel about guessing games, Corvo." Guessing games made him uncomfortable, for they reminded him more of his past near-omniscience.

Corvo exhaled and set the box down on a bookshelf. "You can't avoid it, Ouri. You have to get used to being human eventually."

The other man's gaze followed the box, and he continued to stare at it as he said, "I'm not even used to that name you've given me."

"I've told you, you're free to choose a different one, if you think something else would suit you better." Corvo had pulled some strings to create a cover story, that this newcomer staying in Dunwall Tower the past three weeks was a foreign dignitary. It would be a little trouble to change the details now, but if a change was desired, Corvo would do everything in his power to make it work.

The other man stopped three stairs from the bottom, and looked over at the wall. "I've been 'The Outsider' for thousands of years." His gaze was blank; it seemed like he was trying to see something past the navy-blue wallpaper. "I don't know what else would suit me."

Corvo stepped up beside him and put a hand lightly on his shoulder. "Please. I would gladly keep calling you 'Outsider', but we can't, it's dangerous. The Abbey-"

"Yes, I know," the man cut in sharply. "I'm hated, evil, a wicked entity."

"In most people's minds, yes," Corvo said. "I don't have the power to change that. Forging you a new identity as Ouri is the best I can do." He gave the man's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "And I mean 'forging' like the creation of metalwork, not like the falsifying of documents, because you _are_ real, and you _are_ creating a new life for yourself."

The man- Ouri- looked back at Corvo, eyes somber. "I don't know what to do with this new life. I had such a sprawling purview before. Human life is so small in comparison." He shook his head and said again, "I don't know what to do."

Corvo gave him a light smile. "You don't need to have some grand goal. You can just enjoy the world as you weren't able to before, hm? The food, the wine, the... pleasures of the flesh."

Ouri slowly smiled back. "Those are enjoyable diversions, I admit," he said, moving a hand up to touch Corvo's cheek, fingertips curling behind his ear.

Corvo smiled wider. He leaned down an inch to the slightly shorter man, brushed lips against his smooth cheek, and whispered, "By the way... that box is a gift for you."

"Oh?" Ouri said, intrigued.

"Well, if you would accept it."

Ouri slid closer, hugging him loosely. "I own little in this world; why would I not accept a gift? Especially from you, dear Corvo."

"Perhaps you would think I was moving too fast," Corvo said, half-whispering, somewhat ashamed.

"What do you mean?"

Corvo hugged him tighter, and pulled together courage enough to say, "It's a ring. For marriage."

Ouri was stunned. He forgot to breathe a moment, but then he recovered, and slipped out of the hug, and rushed down to the shelf where the carved box still sat. He popped the lid off and saw the little silver ring on the cushion inside. "Corvo," he gasped. "You really-" He turned around suddenly. "And you thought I might not accept?"

Corvo tilted his head side-to-side. He'd bought the ring today from a traveling merchant because it caught his eye and his heart, but he'd not planned to actually _propose_ until a point in the future when he felt more certain. "I thought- it's been less than a month- perhaps you would need some time-"

"I've known you far longer than a month," Ouri said, walking back to meet him. "I've seen you in your most intimate moments." The hand not holding the box, he stretched out and stroked Corvo's face again. "I've known your thoughts about me, dear Corvo."

"That's handy, because I honestly couldn't put those thoughts into words."

Ouri hummed. "I had supposed that you only wanted me because I was Outsider, because I was the worst taboo."

"No. No," Corvo said, taking Ouri's wrist firmly. "It's- I love you, dammit. You always said how interesting I was, but you're interesting too."

"I am nothing. I am Void."

"The Void never talked to me at night, or at shrines," Corvo retorted, half-angry, half-playful. "The Void doesn't have your wise mind, or your lovely shape. The Void does not join me on my walks, or in my bed. I don't fucking _love_ the Void."

Blood reddened Ouri's face.

Corvo took the ring box and held it out ceremoniously. "Outsid- _Ouri_." He drew in a breath, to calm and collect himself. "If you'd have me, I would love to stay by your side as you find your way in the human world."

And Ouri smiled then, radiantly. "I think- yes. Yes. I look forward to living life as... Ouri Attano."

**Author's Note:**

> AN: added a lil extra ( _He'd bought the ring today from a traveling merchant..._ ) on Jan 27 2018.
> 
> .....sequel [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12861429)


End file.
